Collegiate Shag is a partner dance that originated in the 1930’s and has a history similar to other jazz and swing era dances, such as the Charleston, Lindy Hop, and Balboa. The dance is known for its hopping basic step and high energy footwork that separates it from other forms of swing and other dances that use the “shag” name, such as Carolina Shag or St. Louis Shag.

This website is dedicated to promoting and connecting dancers, teachers, and event organizers who believe in keeping this dance alive! To learn more about the history of Collegiate Shag, click here.How’s it done?

Collegiate Shag is traditionally danced in closed position, similar to Waltz or Foxtrot, where the lead and follow face each other, the lead places his right hand on the follow’s back, the follow places her left hand on the lead’s right shoulder, and the remaining free hands grasp palm-to-palm and held at or above shoulder level.

The footwork consists of a step, hop (or just “hop”) and two alternating steps (or “quick, quick”). The number of times the “hop” is executed before the “quick, quick” can vary between one, two, or three times. This is given the designation of single, double, or triple shag, respectively. To learn more on how to do the double shag step, click here.
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